Appendicitis
Appendicitis can be tricky to diagnose unless you have the typical symptoms, which are only present in about half of all cases.
Also, some people's appendixes may be located in a slightly different part of their body, such as:
Some people develop pain similar to appendicitis, but it's caused by something else, such as:
Your GP will ask about your symptoms, examine your abdomen, and see if the pain gets worse when pressure is applied to the appendix area (your lower right-hand side).
If your symptoms are typical of appendicitis, this is normally enough for your GP to make a confident diagnosis. Inthis case, you'll immediately be referred to hospital for treatment.
If your symptoms aren't typical, further tests may be required in hospital to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other conditions.
Further tests may involve:
It can sometimes taketime to get test results. Your surgeon may recommend a laparoscopy to inspect your appendix and pelvic organs if the diagnosis is still uncertain.
You'll usuallybe advised to have your appendix removed if appendicitis is suspected, rather than run the risk of it bursting. This means some people will have their appendix removed even though it's eventually found to be normal.
In some cases where a diagnosis is not certain, a doctor may recommend waiting up to 24 hours to see if your symptoms improve, stay the same, or get worse.
If your doctor suspects your appendix has burst, you'll be sent to hospital immediately for treatment.
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The appendix is a rudimentary 5-10 cm elongation at the end of the small intestine and at the beginning of the colon, which bears no known function.
The symptoms of appendicitis are not always uniform among patients. However, abdominal pain is always present. Usually this type of pain begins in the solar plexus, accompanied by nausea, and after a few hours, the pain becomes concentrated in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen, right next to the thigh. Symptoms include: 1. Nausea 2. Loss of apetite 3. Diarrhea 4. High fever 5. Flushed face
It is important that all patients suffering from any kind of severe abdominal pain which lasts for several hours and becomes worse over time, should refer themselves to a medical professional. When there are typical symptoms of appendicitis, the condition is easy to diagnose (abdominal pain, nausea, fever etc). These common symptoms are only present in half of the cases. There are cases of atypical appendicitis, which exhibit other symptoms, such as constipation, atypical pain, diarrhea, etc. In order to diagnose this condition, several examinations are conducted: 1. A blood test (usually shows elevated white blood cells) 2. A pregnancy test (in order to rule out a potential pregnancy) 3. A urine test (in order to check for infection) 4. Abdominal echo (in order to check for fluid in pouch of Douglas) 5. Scanner of the appendix (which will show the shape and size of the appendix)
If the diagnosis of appendicitis is confirmed, treatment is always surgical. This procedure is called an appendectomy. This procedure is conducted under general anesthesia, and it can be performed via a probe (laparoscopy), or via open surgery. The procedure involves removing the appendix. A laparoscopy is performed after blowing the abdomen up by blowing gas into it. This renders certain channels available, so that the physician may insert the laparoscope. Following this, the physician performs the procedure via a monitor. A laparoscopy is favorable, because it does not require open surgery, lowers risks and allows the patient to recover more efficiently. If the patient presents themselves too late at the hospitals, the bacteria from the infection in the appendix may spread to other organs in the abdomen (the appendix may burst), then treatment is rendered more complicated, and other medication needs to be used in conjunction to surgery, such as antibiotics to fight infection, analgesics to treat pain, antipyretics to treat the fever and intravenous injections etc.
Neglecting to pay the appropriate attention to a case of appendicitis can be life-threatening. The appendix may burst and cause peritonitis. Peritonitis is a very severe condition, which occurs as a consequence of the spread of bacteria from the burst of the infected appendix. The bacteria spread via the blood in the entire body. This causes inflammation of the peritoneum (the lining which covers all of the organs in the abdomen). Peritonitis has the following symptoms: severe pain spread all over the abdomen, the patient feels fatigue, very high fever, tachycardia (rapid heart rate), difficulties breathing, swelling and hardening of the abdomen, the patient is nearly in shock. This condition requires immediate surgical intervention. An appendectomy is performed, as well as a cleanse of the belly. Following this, that patient has to remain in hospital for a prolonged period in order to receive the proper medication. At times, following the surgical procedure, a small tube is left protruding from the stomach in order to allow for drainage of the infected fluids. This is then later removed.